Friday, September 16, 2016

A New Ham's GuideHow to Use Amateur (Ham Radio) Repeaters by N4UJWSimple enough for even me to understand! This article will help the New Ham to be more at home on repeaters and understand the operation and procedures on Ham Radio Repeaters.It contains a basic description of a ham radio repeater, how to use it properly and is written with the NEW HAM in mind for one of the most popular ham bands....2 meters.

What is a Repeater and Why is it Needed, and How Does It Work? What:It's a two-way radio system that receives on one frequency, then re-transmits what it receives on another frequency; at exactly the same time. It's nothing more than a "dumb electronic machine" with some smart people behind it.Why it's needed:Your mobile or hand held transceiver, has a limited range due to it's antenna height with respect to the radio horizon and rf attenuating surroundings. Repeater systems are used to "transfer" your transmitted and received signals to much higher levels electronically using large, very efficient high gain antennas, low loss feedlines and a transmitter and receiver that is rated for heavy or continuous duty. A repeater "gets out" your signal and receives the station you are talking to with a far greater range and coverage area! You take advantage of the repeater's higher elevation to increase your effective transmitting and receiving coverage versus your mobile or hand held transceiver! How does a Repeater work? Here's a simple block diagram of a repeater below:

More about Repeaters. See these very informative videos below from K7AGE, Randy.A video is worth a thousand words! 3 Parts and a must see! (About 10 to 11 minutes each)

The Basic Repeater Components: AntennaMost repeaters use only one antenna. The antenna is used on transmit and receive signals that are going into and out of the repeater. It usually is a high performance, high gain, heavy duty, and very efficient antenna located as high on a tower or structure as we can get it above the surrounding terrain. Lots of repeater system antennas are located on a high hill or mountain. Antenna systems for repeater use are usually very costly and have an omni-directional pattern.Feed lineThe feed line used on most repeaters is not just a piece of standard 50 ohm coax cable. A type of specialized feed line called "hard line" is usually used. It is very similar to cable tv line that you see strung between power poles around town. Look just above the telephone lines and you will see much larger "aluminum" cable. The signal loss with hard line versus regular coax is much lower than in standard coax, so more power gets to the antenna and weaker signals can be received due to the very low loss of the "hard line".DuplexerThis device serves a major role in a repeater. The duplexer separates and isolates the incoming signal from the outgoing and vice versa. It prevents the receiver and transmitter from hearing one another by the isolation it provides. A duplexer has the shape of large tall cans and is designed to pass a very narrow range of frequencies and to reject others. It helps to reject very strong nearby frequencies from other repeaters or rf producers from getting into the repeater system.ReceiverReceives the incoming signal. This receiver is generally a very sensitive and selective one which helps weaker stations to be heard better by the repeater. It is set to receive the input frequency. It's also where CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) or "PL" decoding takes place.TransmitterMost "machines", as repeaters are sometimes called, have a transmitter composed of an exciter and a power amplifier. The exciter modulates the audio coming from the receiver which is tuned to the transmitting stations's frequency at the proper transmit frequency, and the power amplifier simply boosts its level so the signal will travel further. Lots of repeaters use 100 watts or more. It simply takes the weaker received frequency from say a mobile or ht and re-transmits it (repeats) at a higher power level on a different frequency. On the 2 meter band, this separation between transmit and receive frequency is usually 600kHz either positive or negative in relation to the transmit frequency. On the 440 (70cm) band it is usually 5mHz positive or negative in relation to the transmit frequency.

The "transmit" frequency is the frequency you tune your radio to and is usually listed in various sources. For instance, if you see a repeater listing that says:

146.90mHz, minus or negative offset, Pl tone, 100....then you would program your radio to 146.90mHz , minus 600kHz with a PL tone of 100 into the memory for that specific repeater.NOTE that most newer radios automatically set the offset (your actual transmit frequency) so you won't have to.ControllerThis is the brain of the repeater. It handles repeater station ID using either CW or voice, activates the transmitter at the appropriate times, and sometimes performs many other functions depending on the sophistication of the repeater. Some also have a DVR (Digital Voice Recorder) for announcements and messages. The controller is a small computer that's programmed to control a repeater. What is Offset?You may have seen the word "offset" mentioned in the Tramsmitter section above. So exactly what is a repeater offset you may ask?In order to listen and transmit at the same time, repeaters use two different frequencies. One for it's transmit frequency and another for it's receive frequency. On the 2 meter ham band these frequencies are 600 kHz (or 600 kilohertz) apart. On other bands, the offsets are different. As a general rule, if the output frequency (transmit) of the repeater is below 147 mHz, then the input frequency (listening) is 600 kilohertz lower. This is referred to as a negative offset. If the output is 147 Mhz or above, then the input is 600 kilohertz above. This is referred to as a positive offset. Virtually all ham radios sold today set the offset once you have chosen the operating frequency automatically. Example: If the repeater output is 146.840 Mhz. The input, or the frequency the repeater receiver listens on is 146.240 Mhz ( 600 kilohertz below 146.840mHz). If you have your radio tuned to 146.840 Mhz, (the repeater's output frequency), when you push the mic button, your radio automatically transmits on 146.240 Mhz, 600kHz down from 146.840. When you release the mic button to listen, your radio switches back to 146.840 mHz to listen on the repeater's output frequency. Note: There are exceptions to the rule so check your local repeater listings.

Standard Repeater Input/Output Offsets

Band Offset

6 meters 1 MHz

2 meters 600 kHz

1.25 meters 1.6 MHz

70 cm 5 MHz

33 cm 12 MHz

23 cm 20 MHz

(Note that input/output offsets are voluntary among local and regional "Frequency Coordination Groups". They are not fixed in stone by the FCC! They are "recommended" offsets for a particular area.Your area may be different. Check with your local repeater operators.

Why do Repeaters use an Offset?Without having an offset between the transmit signal and the receive signal frequency, the repeater would simply hear itself when it was transmitting on the same frequency it was listening on! Therefore, to use a repeater a user must use a different transmit frequency than receive frequency. Your actual transmit frequency is the exact same one that the repeater receiver is listening on. This is a form of duplex, or two frequency operation. It is known as half-duplex as you do not receive and transmit at the same time but normally use the push-to-talk button on your microphone to switch between the two. Cell phones use full duplex so each party can hear the other while the he/she is talking. Even with the offset, the two frequencies are close enough that some isolation is required. Again, this isolation is done by the Duplexer. So you can see why some repeater components interact with each other and without the basic system components....nothing would work. What's all those tones about? What is a PL or CTCSS Tone? PL, an acronym for Private Line, is Motorola's proprietary name for a communications industry signaling scheme called the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, or CTCSS. It is used to prevent a repeater from responding to unwanted signals or interference. Tone Squelch is an electronic means of allowing a repeater to respond only to stations that encode or send the proper tone. In other words, if a repeater is set up to operate only when a PL tone of say, 136.5Hz is heard by it's receiver, then it will allow the transmitting station access. If your station, (your mobile, base or hand held) does not transmit the tone that the repeater receiver has been programmed for, when you key up, then the receiver of the repeater does not hear you and will not be usable by your station until you set the proper tone in your radio to be transmitted when you key your mic. Any modern station may be set up to transmit this unique low frequency tone that allows the repeater to operate. If a repeater is "In PL mode" that means it requires a CTCSS tone (PL tone) to activate the repeater. Due to severe congestion of ham repeaters in some areas, most repeaters are "PL'ed". These repeaters were once called closed repeaters. TABLE OF COMMON PL TONES (in Hz) 67.0 94.8 131.8 171.3 203.5 69.3 97.4 136.5 173.8 206.5 71.9 100.0 141.3 177.3 210.7 74.4 103.5 146.2 179.9 218.1 77.0 107.2 151.4 183.5 225.7 79.7 110.9 156.7 186.2 229.1 82.5 114.8 159.8 189.9 233.6 85.4 118.8 162.2 192.8 241.8 88.5 123.0 165.5 196.6 250.3 91.5 127.3 167.9 199.5 254.1What Happens When You Key Your mic?Let's "key up" a repeater and see what sequence of events are created within the repeater equipment when someone makes a transmission:

You set your transceiver controls for the 146.84 "machine" and listen to see if it is in use...nothing heard. You key your mic and throw out your callsign...."This is KE5??? (insert your call sign) listening on the 146.84 machine". Then you release the mic button.

Assuming your station is within range of the repeater....The repeater antenna which is usually very high on a tall building, tower, water tank, or even a mountain top, picked up your signal with its antenna on 146.24 (your transmit frequency set to the standard offset for this part of the 2 meter band of -600kHz, and the repeater's receive frequency) and sent it down the feed line to the duplexer.From there it was sent to the repeater receiver and converted to an audio signal (just like the sounds coming from your speaker)....sent to the controller (the brains of the repeater), then sent to the repeater transmitter and turned back into a much greater amplified radio signal on 146.84mhz (the output of the repeater)....sent to the duplexer....then thru the feedline to the antenna and out over the air. So your little pip squeak ht running only 1 watt may be increased to 20, 30, 50 or 100 watts or sometimes more using the repeater transmitter and its much higher gain antenna and high location!

A mobile, ht or base station that happened to be within range and monitoring the ".84' machine heard your transmission on 146.84mhz (the repeater output frequency). Since radio waves travel at about the speed of light....at the split second that you first keyed your mic, the above events took place and the repeater was receiving your signal on one frequency and re-transmitting your signal on a different frequency at the same time!The mobile station that was listening on the output frequency of the repeater heard your callsign....keyed his mic and came back to you starting the process all over again! A simple way of demonstrating what is going on with a repeater is to set a scanner or a second receiver tuned to the input frequency of a LOCAL active repeater...in the case above...146.24mhz and you can monitor its input (and the stations using it if they are local).Then with your transceiver, monitor the output on 146.84mhz! You should be able to hear both the input signals and the output of the repeater as all this takes place on the air. You may notice some differene in the audio quality between the input and the output frequencies. This is normal.How do you make a call on an Amateur Repeater? First, LISTEN AND LISTEN SOME MORE...... to make sure that the repeater is not already in use. When you are satisfied that the repeater is not in use, set your transmitter power to the minimum and increase only as needed to make contact with the repeater, begin with the callsign of the station you are trying to contact followed by your callsign. e.g. " N4??? this is N3???". (The N3??? is your callsign). If you don't establish contact with the station you are looking for, wait a minute or two and repeat your call. If you are just announcing your presence on the repeater it is helpful to others that may be listening if you identify the repeater you are using AND your callsign. e.g. " This is N3??? listening on the 84 machine or you could also say This is N3??? listening on 146.84 Dallas or the location of the repeater if known. This allows people that are listening on radios that scan several repeaters to identify which repeater you are using. If the repeater you are using is a busy repeater you may consider moving to a simplex frequency (transmit and receive on the same frequency..... see more below), once you have made contact with the station you were calling. Repeaters are designed to enhance communications between stations that normally wouldn't be able to communicate because of terrain or power limitations. If you can maintain your conversation without using the repeater, going "simplex" (both stations on same frequency in a different part of the band) will leave the repeater free for other stations to use that can't establish simplex communications!Repeater EtiquetteandReporting EmergenciesThe first and most important rule before using a repeater is to LISTEN FIRST. Nothing is more annoying than someone that "keys up" or DOUBLES in the middle of another conversation without first checking to make sure the repeater is free. If the repeater is in use, wait for a pause in the conversation (watch your S meter and wait for it to drop indicating the repeater is listening) and simply say "Emergency, Emergency, Emergency", and wait for one of the other stations to acknowledge your call. If for some reason you are not heard, then repeat the 3 "Emergencies" again...then if you are still not heard, try another nearby repeater.This is not CB radio!Don't use CB lingo on any ham band such as 10-4, what's your 20, etc.....don't say BREAKER! Using the words BREAK, or BREAK, BREAK or BREAK, BREAK, BREAK or any combination of them on Ham radio can be misunderstood by an operator depending on his experience.The word "break" or combinations of it carries many different meanings in the ham community and in the English language. According to THE EMERGENCY COORDINATOR'S MANUAL Edited by Steven Ewald, WV1X andPublished by The American Radio Relay League, Inc., Quote from the "General Procedures section....http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%2520Service/ECMANUAL.PDF

"16) The word "break"isnever used UNLESS there is an emergency."

Then further down in the manual, it appears to contradict or discourage the use of the word/s BREAK in the above statement:

"Note: The practice of using "BREAK" or "BREAK BREAK" to announce distress traffic should be strongly discouraged;it has no universally understood meaning.So rather than have confusion...use plain language!SO HOW DO YOU REPORT or ACT ON AN EMERGENCY ON A HAM BAND?Many hams use the wording, "BREAK, BREAK, BREAK", (the word "break" repeated 3 times in a row). This is accepted practice on the hf bands where noise may be a problem but on repeaters, usually noise is not a problem, so using "plain" language such as "EMERGENCY", REPEATED 2 OR MORE TIMES can be used to announce that there is an emergency and the frequency is needed to relay vital information....if you hear an "Emergency" call during your conversation with another station....stop transmitting, listen....and then acknowledge the station calling the emergency and let them have the frequency immediately! Don't delay them by saying something on the order of "Stand by breaker" and then carry on your conversation with your contact. Seconds wasted doing this may COST a life! Listen to them carefully and write down the details of their emergency. They will give you the details of the emergency. Then pause for a moment and wait before you go back to him.......many other hams who heard the emergency call may be responding ALL at the same time.

If someone "beats" you to getting back to him, let him take over. Do not break into the conversations UNLESS there is a need for a relay. Under certain situations due to distances involved with mobiles and repeaters, you may be able to hear a mobile BETTER than the repeater on the input frequency of the repeater. It is a good idea to monitor the input if possible if the station reporting the emergency is having trouble getting into the repeater. You may be closer to him than the repeater and can hear him better! Whether or not the station reporting the emergency is a base station OR mobile, try to monitor the input of the repeater if there is difficulty in the emergency transmission.

IF YOU ARE REPORTING AN EMERGENCY:When using VOICE, use the international standard "MAYDAY" or universally understood "EMERGENCY" to announce traffic of life-or-death importance.

The procedure should be:1.Select the repeater frequency.2. Wait for a space between transmissions if the repeater is busy.3. Key your mic and state..."Emergency, Emergency, Emergency" unkey.4. Wait for a response from the repeater users. If you get no response, try another repeater.When you do make contact, state your call sign and give as many details as to the emergency as possible. Don't panic, speak slowly and clearly so the details will be understood the first time! Always give details as exact and specific. Give the details of the exact LOCATION of the emergency using enough description of the location so it can be found easily by first responders. Don't say....on highway 60 and leave it at that. The emergency vehicles need exact locations if at all possible. Remember, seconds or minutes saved equal lives in many cases!Give number of "victims" if possible. Is there is fire involved, downed power lines, immediate road blockage due to wreckage creating further dangers? DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS.The person on the other end of your transmission is most likely copying the info to paper so he can relay it to the appropriate authorities. Help him help you!If by some chance you have to use Morse code when reporting an emergency, then:The standard CW signal is "SOS," sent as a single character--not spaced as three letters." EXAMPLE: DIT DIT DIT DAH DAH DAH DIT DIT DIT and NOT, dit dit dit SPACE dah dah dah SPACE dit dit dit.NOTE: Many repeater systems allow touch tone key pad entry of "911" DIRECT TO the 911 operators and the emergency reporting system. Check with your repeater system owners or trustees for info BEFORE YOU NEED TO KNOW.When making a 911 call direct from your station, make sure the 911 operator understands that you are calling via ham radio and she/he can not talk or (be heard by you) until you have unkeyed your radio. Use of the term "over" is very helpful between you and the 911 operator. It is not like using cell phones. It is a one way (half duplex) transmission using a repeater and not simplex as with regular cell phones or land lines. Both parties CAN NOT talk at the same time!Use plain languageon a repeater. If you want to know someone's location, say "Where are you.... or what's your location?" If you want to know whether someone you're talking with is using a mobile rig or a hand-held radio, just ask: "What kind of radio are you using?" You get the idea. Most repeater use is of a "local" nature so signals will be usually of very high quality. The use of the phonetic alphabet is very helpful at times.Don't call CQ to initiate a conversation on a repeater. Just simply listen to make certain the repeater is not in use and then key your mic and say your call sign and "listening".If someone happens to be listening and they want to talk to you they will respond.

When you are using the repeater leave a couple of seconds between exchanges to allow other stations to join in or make a quick call. Most repeaters have a "Courtesy Tone" (a short...beep or series of beeps) that will help in determining how long to pause. The courtesy tone serves two purposes. Repeaters have a time out function that will shut down the transmitter if the repeater is held on for a preset length of time (normally three or four minutes). This ensures that if someone's transmitter is stuck on for any reason, it won't hold the repeater's transmitter on indefinitely. (Don't laugh, many microphones get lodged in the fold of car seats and keep a repeater busy until it times out. Of course if it is not noticed soon by the mobile operator.....the control operator of the repeater may have to shut down the repeater until the problem is corrected.) When a ham is talking and releases the push-to-talk switch on their radio, the controller in the repeater detects the loss of carrier and resets the time-out timer. When the timer is reset, the repeater sends out the courtesy tone. If you wait until you hear this beep (normally a couple of seconds), before you respond, you can be sure that you are pausing a suitable length of time. After you hear the beep, the repeater's transmitter will stay on for a few more seconds before turning off. This is referred to as the "tail". The length of the tail will vary from repeater to repeater but the average is about 2 or 3 seconds. You don't HAVE to wait for the "tail to drop" before keying up again, but make sure that you hear the courtesy tone (if used) before going ahead. Note: If you don't wait for the beep, the time-out timer may not reset. If you time-out the repeater, YOUR conversation AFTER the time-out will not be heard. The repeater time-out function does not care if you are still talking or not; and the station on the other end may rib you about hogging the machine and you will have wasted all those words! What is Doubling? When two stations try to talk at the same time on the same repeater, the signals mix in the repeater's receiver and results in a buzzing sound, squeal, distorted sound or severely jumbled and broken words.When you are involved in a roundtable discussion with several other stations it is always best to pass off the repeater to a specific person (station) rather than leave it up it the air. e.g. "W3??? to take it, this is N3???", then unkey; or......."Do you have any comments Fred?, this is N3???"; un key. You could also say "OK...that's all I have.....back to you Fred" or the next person in rotation... (un key)....Failing to use this or other techniques is an invitation to total confusion. As a point of interest, a repeater will usually lock into the strongest of two FM signals. This is the nature of FM. The strongest signal usually wins.Signal Reports on a RepeaterLots of new hams don't understand that the S meter on their radio is only reporting the relative strength of the repeater system and NOT the signal strength of the station they are talking to unless they are in the simplex mode. When the repeater is transmitting, it may have an output greatly exceeding that of the station IT is listening to. Remember the station it hears on the input frequency of it's receiver may be on a hand held radio and only a few blocks from the "machine" or it could be a mobile radio in a vehicle out on the fringes of the repeater coverage area or a base station running a high gain antenna and 100 watts from the next county or in some cases, the next state. To a third party, (another ham), listening to the machine on the repeater output, all of these stations would have the same S meter reading on his S meter! As long as the repeater can detect the signals and is working properly as it is setup, then all stations, (to the third ham), will "appear" to have the same signal strength on the S meter. Remember, the S meter is only reporting the relative strength of the repeater when it is transmitting and not the individual stations! So all that being said, how do you give an accurate signal report to the station you are talking to?JUST USE PLAIN ENGLISH!Listen to the background sounds of his AUDIO coming from your speaker in between words and sentences. Don't even look at your S meter. (Assuming the repeater has a good strong signal into your location).

If there is no noise other than room background, road, passenger or other sounds that could be picked up by his microphone, then he would be said to have a FULL QUIETING signal into the repeater.....receiver. NOT 50 OVER S9, S9, OR ANY COMBINATION on your S meter. The term "Quieting" refers to the carrier level of the transmitter being strong enough to "quiet" the background hiss on the frequency. If some background noise such as the hiss that is commonly heard in an FM receiver is heard on the transmitter signal, then it would not be considered "FULL QUIETING". There are times when either station using a repeater may be getting into the repeater receiver with very little signal and the repeated signal will have lots of noise on it. Although the repeater signal may be full quieting when the weak station stops transmitting, the weak station can not be considered to be full quieting into the repeater so you would give the other station a report on his signal and not the repeater. Don't get confused with this. If his audio is perfectly understandable with 100 % copy and there is NO "noise" in the background other than the above, then an accurate report for him would be, "You're full quieting and 100 % copy into the repeater. Anything less than the above is usually given in various ways using an exact as possible description of his signal. "Audio" reports are a matter of interpretation by individual ears. We as hams are in the "business" of communications , not HI FI broadcast FM! We can only sound as good as the FCC will allow our transmitters to sound! If you are having extreme difficulty copying the other station, he may also be having the same problem with you, but remember he is hearing the repeater signal, not yours direct and so are you. Try to get him to go "simplex" if he is coming closer to you in a few minutes. See hint below. If the transmissions get so ruff that neither can copy the other, then just give your call sign and clear off the repeater for others to use while he gets closer or higher or changes his transmitting setup. Not all conversations are completed to the end under adverse conditions or operating situations....be patient.

HINT....If the station is in and out of range of the repeater you and he were using and is coming in your direction...try him on a simplex frequency! He may be loud and clear direct on simplex and only a few miles away and getting stronger all the time but he is getting farther from the repeater! Another situation that can happen during a new contact is that you and he did not exchange locations at the first of the contact. Both you and he are using a repeater 50 miles away. Then after several minutes you discover in your conversation with the other station that he is in the same town as you and only a couple of miles away! Time for simplex! Don't hog the repeater.

Simplex operationgenerally means station to station or direct communication on the same frequency between two stations and not using a repeater. Use the least amount of output power needed to carry on the contact. Simplex should be used when the two stations are close enough to carry on a conversation without the use of a repeater and will help in congested metro areas with a limited number of repeaters.Simplex should always be used if possible rather than a repeater.See chart below for suggested simplex frequencies. (Highlighted in gray)Repeater input and output frequencies highlighted in yellow. 2 Meter Band Plan as suggested by the ARRL (144-148 MHz):

144.00-144.05

EME (CW)

144.05-144.10

General CW and weak signals

144.10-144.20

EME and weak-signal SSB

144.200

SSB National calling frequency

144.200-144.275

General SSB operation

144.275-144.300

Propagation beacons

144.30-144.50

New OSCAR subband

144.50-144.60

Linear translator inputs

144.60-144.90

FM repeater inputs

144.90-145.10

Weak signal and FM simplex (145.01,03,05,07,09 are widely used for packet)

145.10-145.20

Linear translator outputs

145.20-145.50

FM repeater outputs

145.50-145.80

Miscellaneous and experimental modes

145.80-146.00

OSCAR subband

146.01-146.37

Repeater inputs

146.40-146.58

Simplex

146.52

National FM Simplex Calling Frequency

146.61-146.97

Repeater outputs

147.00-147.39

Repeater outputs

147.42-147.57

Simplex

147.60-147.99

Repeater inputs

YOUR FIRST CONVERSATION AND CONTACT ON A REPEATER! That most exciting day just arrived! You now have passed your Technician Class exam and have been issued your first call sign by the FCC.You have your station all set up and you are ready for your first contact on a repeater! You chose a local repeater frequency and dial it up on your rig. You just keyed your mic, gave out your call sign and now you hear........your call sign and someone coming back to you with his call sign.....he un keys and the repeater is waiting for YOU! BRAIN LOCK SETS IN! "What do I do? What do I talk about? Will I remember all those rules, regulations, theory and all that other stuff I had to study?

The simple answer is.......probably not......but don't worry!First thing....try to write his call sign down and if he gives his name, that too. Lots of good operators recognize a new ham instantly on the air and they will guide you with patience, understanding, maybe some fun prodding and picking at you to get you to relax and have fun with your new license.

He will WELCOME you! A good operator will never make you feel unwanted on the air. He may ask you to repeat your call sign just to make certain he understood who he is talking to and if you forget to give your name, he will ask for it. Most hams don't like to talk to a "call sign", so getting names and also locations helps to start the conversation.If you make mistakes....he will most likely let you know what you did wrong and inform you as to the correct way in a friendly manor.

Don't be surprised if he asks you all the questions instead of the other way around. He is just trying to get you to feel relaxed on the air. As your experience grows in ham radio, aways try to remember your first contact and how excited and nervous you were. Now it's your turn and you are the one responding to a new ham and his first contact! Make him feel at home and.......be a good operator.....like your first contact was! Repeater ID.....you and it!You must transmit your call sign at the end of a contact and at least every 10 minutes during the course of any communication. You do not have to transmit the call sign of the station to whom you are transmitting. Never transmit without identifying. For example, keying your microphone to turn on the repeater without saying your station call sign is illegal. If you do not want to engage in conversation, but simply want to check if you are able to access a particular repeater, simply say "(your call sign...... testing)." CONTROL OPERATORS

All ham radio stations, including repeaters AND YOUR STATION are required by the FCC to have a control operator monitoring the station while it is on the air. You are the control operator of your station.

Control operators are usually the owners, trustees or other designated licensed operators of a repeater system. They sometimes stay quietly in the background just listening to the every day operation of the "machine" for technical problems, proper use, FCC rule breaking, etc on a particular repeater.

They have complete control of whether a repeater is on the air or off and have the ability to stop it's operation at any time! Use the repeater to the best of your ability and within the FCC rules.

Report any un-authorized use of a repeater to the repeater owner or person responsible for the operation of the repeater.

One last thought....SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL REPEATER/S. It takes LOTS of money to maintain a repeater and the money has to come from somewhere. If you can't donate funds, then donate your time, assistance, equipment, knowledge, labor or anything of value to the repeater owner to help keep it on the air. It will be appreciated! Even simple things like mowing the grass around the repeater area is certainly appreciated. If the repeater is on a mountain top, enjoy the view while you are there. All repeaters need some kind of care from time so volunteer your time when others don't.

WARNING TO NON-LICENSED STATIONS!Only licensed Amateur Radio Operators are authorized use of ANY Amateur Radio transceiver including repeaters in the transmit function.

SEVERE PENALTIES ARE ENFORCED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION!

LICENSED HAMS HAVE WAYS TO DETECT BOGUS CALL SIGNS!

DON'T TRY IT!

DON'T FORGET .....ID YOUR STATIONTHE REPEATER WILL NOT ID FOR YOU....IT ONLY ID'S ITSELF! After all......it's only a dumb "machine"!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Some
time ago, a ham on twitter posted about a “2m SSB simplex contact” he had made.
Another ham replied with “2m SSB is just that. The word simplex is not needed.”
The second ham is incorrect…not all 2m SSB contacts are simplex. Most of them
are but not all. More importantly, I think this exchange highlights some common
confusion about terms such as simplex, duplex and repeater operation.

Terminology

Simplex
– In the amateur radio context, simplex operation means the radio
stations are communicating with each other directly, on the same frequency.
Both stations take turns transmitting and receiving on the same frequency with
no repeater or other device in between.

Duplex
– Duplex operation means that a radio station transmits on one frequency and
receives on a different frequency.

Full
Duplex – Operating duplex with the ability to transmit and receive simultaneously.

Half
Duplex – Operating duplex but having to switch between transmit and receive

Repeaters

Examples
of simplex vs. duplex operations. The repeater station (lower image, on
mountain) is full duplex, instantly retransmitting a received signal. Each
user’s station is half duplex, unable to transmit and receive simultaneously,
but shifting between the transmit and receive frequencies. Very often simplex
and duplex operation are associated with FM on the VHF and UHF bands. If you
are talking to another ham directly, on one frequency, with no repeater
involved, that is simplex operation. FM repeater operation uses two
frequencies: the repeater receive frequency and the repeater transmit
frequency. The repeater’s job is to take the signal it hears on its receiver
and retransmit it on the transmit frequency. Repeaters
operate in full duplex mode, because they receive and transmit
at the same time. The repeater user is usually operating in half
duplex, using two frequencies but switching between transmit and receive.
Some FM ham radio gear can operate in full duplex mode (usually employing two
different ham bands) but most equipment is half duplex only. We
refer to a repeater by its transmit frequency, which is the frequency the user
listens on. When the user transmits, the radio automatically changes
frequency as required by the repeater’s offset (the difference between
its transmit and receive frequencies.) The repeater offset is sometimes
referred to as the repeater split.

HF
Operating

The
vast majority of HF operation is simplex operation. We dial up a particular
frequency and chat back and forth on that same frequency. However, duplex
operating is also used on HF, typically referred to as working split. A
DX station may have a large number of stations calling him, creating a “pile
up” on frequency. His ability to make contacts slows dramatically as this huge
pile of stations calling him creates interference on his frequency. The DX
station can’t hear the particular station he’s trying to work and the station
he is trying to work also has trouble hearing the DX station. A common
practice is for the DX station to listen on a different frequency, typically a
few kHz up from his transmit frequency. The DX operator will say something like
“listening up 10” to indicate he is listening 10 kHz higher than his transmit
frequency. Or he may just say his receive frequency explicitly (“listening
14.180”). The idea is that the DX transmit frequency will always remain
clear so everyone can hear him. Everyone hears the DX pull a callsign out of
the pile, when the contact is complete and when he’s ready for the next call.
Things get easier for the DX station as the calling stations tend to spread out
and he can tune around a bit to find a particular station he wants to contact. Making
this happen is a bit tricky and requires the use of two VFOs . Most
modern transceivers have split mode capability with dual VFOs. Most modern
transceivers have this capability. The calling stations set one VFO to the DX
station’s transmit frequency and adjust the other VFO to be on the receive
frequency specified by the DX station (“up 10”). The transceiver is set to
listen on the first VFO and transmit on the second VFO. This is usually called split
operation in the transceiver manual. If your radio does not have split
operation, it is going to be very difficult to contact a DX station running
split. On the
HF bands, split operation is an example of half-duplex operation. I
suppose it could be full duplex under some circumstances but in most cases
transmit and receive will not be simultaneous.

VHF
CW/SSB Operating

Excluding
FM repeater use, most VHF and UHF operating is also simplex. VHF operators can operate
split just like the HF case but I can’t recall actually hearing this on the
air. A strong band opening on 6m behaves a lot like HF, so a large DX pileup
could benefit from going duplex. A linear translator retransmits
SSB or CW signals, similar to an FM repeater but for linear
modulation. There are very few linear translators being used on earth but
they are a form of SSB operating that is not simplex. Linear translators
actually retransmit a range of frequencies, not just one, so that multiple users
can be supported by one translator. Linear translators are commonly deployed in
space as satellites.

Satellite
Operating

Satellites
use one ham band for the uplink and another ham band for the down link. For
example, the FO-29 satellite uses 145.9 – 146.0 MHz for the uplink and 435.8 –
435.9 MHz for the downlink. Similar to a repeater, the satellite operates full
duplex, transmitting the signal that is heard on the receiver (uplink). Ham
satellites use different modulation types, including FM, SSB, CW and digital formats.
It is the most common example of “non-simplex” SSB operating on the
VHF bands. Satellite duplex operations can be conducted with an HT and a
dual-band antenna, usually a directional. The satellite, like a
repeater, typically operates full duplex to instantly retransmit on one band
signals received on the other. It is highly desirable for the satellite user to
also operate full duplex (usually with headphones to avoid feedback).
That way, the user can determine how well he is getting into the satellite,
operate with minimum power and just do a better job of avoiding interference to
other users. The FM birds can be worked with just a handheld transceiver (HT),
making portable operating easy. However, only a few HTs have the ability to
operate full duplex, so a lot of satellite operating is done using half
duplex.

Summary

To wrap
up then, simplex is a term that applies on all of the ham bands, because it is
the simplest way to communicate. However, it is not the “opposite” of using a
repeater. Duplex is also a term that applies in a variety of cases, including
repeater operation, working split on HF or VHF and working crossband via
satellite.

Before you even start
reading this, I’ll warn you that I’m a big fan of Morse Code (often
referred to as CW, or “continuous wave”). So big, in fact, that it’s safe to
say that I use Morse Code to make 95% of my contacts.

I am not, however, one of
those guys that thinks you’re not a “real ham” if you didn’t pass some kind of
code test. In fact, I think that eliminating the code test was a good thing for
ham radio. The code test kept a lot of good people out of the hobby.

Having said that, I think
there are lots of good reasons you should learn Morse Code. Please keep an open
mind as I list them:

1.Tradition. Operating CW
is an amateur radio tradition. When amateur radio began, CW was the only mode.
When you learn and operate CW, you’re following a very long line of hams who
have operated CW.

2.Effectiveness. Talk to a
CW operator, and it’s likely that he’ll chew your ear off about how CW is
a more effective mode than voice. While the difference is probably not as much
as the CW operator would like you to believe, the difference is real. When
conditions are poor, you’ll be able to make CW contacts and not voice contacts.

3.DXing. That being the
case, CW operators have an advantage when it comes to contacting DX stations
because their signals will get through when voice signals are unreadable. Also,
if you consider that there are more voice operators than CW operators, you’ll
have a better chance of contacting a much-wanted DX station because there will
be fewer operators trying to contact him using CW than there will be using
voice.

4.Contesting. In most
contests, you get more points for a CW contact than you do for a voice contact.
Sometimes the bonus is 100%, sometimes only 50%. In either case, doesn’t it
make sense to know CW if you want to be a contester? You’ll score more points
for the same number of contacts.

5.Simplicity/Efficiency.
The equipment you need to operate CW is a lot simpler than the equipment needed
to operate voice modes. And, because CW is more efficient, you can, in general,
use a lot less power to make contacts with CW than you need to make
contacts using voice modes. This has spawned a whole sub-group of hams called
QRPers, who delight in using very minimal equipment to make contacts.
Using CW also saves bandwidth. The bandwidth of a CW signal is approximately
200 Hz, while the bandwidth of a single-sideband (SSB) voice signal is about 3
kHz. That is to say that the voice signal is 15 times wider than the CW signal.
Another way to say this is that for a given amount of bandwidth, you can fit 15
times more CW signals than you can SSB signals.

6.It’s just plain fun. Once
you learn CW and start using it, it can be a lot of fun. Like any activity that
requires some skill, mastering that skill can be a source of pride. Not to
sound too vain about it, but I enjoy the praise I get from my fellow hams when
I can display my CW operating skills.

How to Learn Morse CodeIn the
old days if you wanted to learn Morse Code, you went out and bought a vinyl
record or maybe a cassette tape that had precrecorded lessons on them. Another
approach—the approach I used—was to tune in a Morse Code signal and start to
associate the patterns of dits and dahs to characters of the alphabet. Both
methods had drawbacks.

Today, things are a lot
easier. Not only are there free resources available, I think they are much more
effective in teaching people code than the old LPs or cassette tapes. Here are
the three resources that I recommend:

1.G4FON Koch CW Trainer. Ray Goff, G4FON, has
perhaps written the most popular CW training program. It runs on the PC, and is
completely free! The program uses the Koch method. The idea is that you
learn to receive at the speed you would like to eventually achieve, but you
learn only one character at a time. This method works very well for lots of
people.

2.K7QO Code Course. The
K7QO Code Course takes a different approach. This set of .mp3 files comes on a
CD-ROM and teaches you the code letter by letter. It starts out sending the
letters slowly, then ramps up. The nice thing about this course is that you can
use it on any device that is capable of playing .mp3 files. To obtain a
copy of the CD-ROM, send $1 per copy and a self-addressed envelope to FISTS, PO
Box 47, Hadley MI 48440.

3.Learn CW Online.
LCWO uses the Koch method to teach Morse Code. Because it runs in your browser,
you can use this website no matter what computer you happen to be using.

Whatever method you choose, I hope you’ll
consider learning the code. See you on the CW bands!

The September 8, 2016 meeting of The
Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association was called to order at 7:00 PM by
President Mark Albee N1MEA. Evie KA1BRA made a motion to accept the August 11,
2016 Minutes as e-mailed. The motion was seconded by Rob W8HAP. Motion carried.
Gwen KC1BKN made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report of Petty cash
$193.01, Savings Account $1216.55,VE Account $18.82, and Repeater Fund $92.39.
The motion was seconded by Ron N1AHH. The motion carried.

Business

Net Controls EMCOMM (Tuesdays,
around 7:00 PM, 146.91
repeater)

September 13 Chris AB1PZ

September
20Mark N1MEA

September
27Evie KA1BRA

October
4 No Net

October
11 Mark N1MEA

Net
Controls EAWA Net (Wednesdays, 7:00 PM, 147.03repeater)

September
14Chris AB1PZ

September
21Mark N1MEA

September
28Evie KA1BRA

October
5Evie KA1BRA

October
12 Mark N1MEA

MDI Marathon-

Evie KA1BRA was asked to contact Gary Allen to find out if
amateur help is needed for the Marathon this year. Evie will get back to Chris
with the information.

LATE NOTE: The MDI Marathon organizers do plan on amateur radio help again this year. I have a family commitment and cannot attend. We also have two hams who usually help, but have medical issues that might prevent them from helping this year. If you are able to help, please contact Chris AB1PZ at ohno5below@hotmail.com. The Marathon is Sunday October 16 and will be busier than usual since it's the 100th Acadia Anniversary. If you can even help for a short while, do contact Chris or Evie eviesargent@yahoo.com.

Meadow View Antennas - Dick W1KRP mentioned that there was an inspection at
Meadow View and something had to be done about the dangling antenna soon. Chris
AB1PZ set this coming Sunday at 1:00 PM to see what needs to be replaced or
repaired. The antenna may not be repairable. Chris will bring a ladder and Mark
N1MEA will also be there to help. Other helping hands are most welcome!

Rob W8HAP made a motion to adjourn
the business meeting. The motion was seconded by Mark N1MEA. So done at 7:12
PM.